Texas Rangers Blog

Mike Napoli Tweets thanks to Rangers fans: ‘Gonna miss you guys’

Mike Napoli officially joined the Boston Red Sox on Tuesday. He used Twitter to say farewell to the Texas Rangers and the fan base that embraced him during his two seasons with the club.

The message:

“Want to thank the rangers organization and especially the fans!! Gonna miss you guys and thanks for all your support!”

In a session with Boston media, Napoli said leaving the Rangers was difficult “but the best fit for me was the Red Sox.”

The original deal was reworked after lengthy discussions because a physical showed Napoli has avascular necrosis, death of bone tissue caused by interrupted blood flow, in both hips. The condition led to a premature end to Bo Jackson’s two-sport career, but Brett Favre played with it during a 20-year NFL career.

The Red Sox discovered the condition during a physical related to the contract. Napoli is receiving treatment and said the prognosis is good for the coming season.

Napoli said he likely played through the condition last season with the Rangers. After hitting .320 with 30 homers and a .631 slugging percentage in 2011, Napoli dropped to .227 with 24 homers and a .469 slugging percentage last season.

According to Mayoclinic.org, the blood flow can be interrupted if the bone is fractured in a traumatic episode or the joint becomes dislocated. Avascular necrosis has also been linked to thrombosis, vascular compression, lupus, repeated exposure to high pressure such as in deep-sea diving, long-term use of high-dose steroid medications and excessive alcohol intake.